Game of Thrones returns to our screens on March 31st for the season 3 première, and it can’t come quick enough!
But if you find yourself bursting with anticipation, fear
not, there may be something to ease you through this month’s wait - Vikings.
Hitting US screens every Sunday night on the History channel
(meaning Monday in the UK with a little help from the web), Vikings is centred
around the legendary Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel) who wants to sail to
unknown lands against the wishes of his Viking ruler, Jarl Haraldson
(Gabriel Byrne) . Without giving too much away, I think we all know what he
tries to do next…
Before watching the first episode, ‘Rites of Passage’, I was
a little sceptical, thinking to myself: “This is either going to be really good,
or really bad”.
But after watching it, I found myself wanting more, not
because it was so great, but because in just 40 minutes it was hard to gauge a
solid opinion. Perhaps a double-bill would have been more persuasive.
That said, from what I saw the show does have potential.
The acting is first-class and not cheesy as some might
think. Travis Fimmel was excellent in
The Baytown Outlaws, and he plays Ragnar with real conviction. The well
respected Gabriel Byrne (The Usual Suspects, Stigmata, End of Days)
unsurprisingly plays a great villain, and it is also worth noting Swedish actor
Gustaf Skarsgård's performance as Ragnar’s eccentric friend Floki.
What I also like is that all of the main characters are
likeable yet tough. Even Ragnar’s wife Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick) can put up a fight, never mind
his bullish brother Rollo (Clive Standen). This allows the audience to really engage with the
characters, and is one aspect of the show which really stood out to me; it’s not always
the plot which makes the series, but the characters.
When it comes to the cinematography, it isn't as visually
stunning as Game of Thrones at this stage, but it is still well executed. The action scenes are
violent, brutal and gory, and wouldn't seem out of place in the Spartacus
series. There are also some fantastic
shots of the Irish landscape.
Overall Vikings is well worth a watch, and from the looks of
things, it’s only going to get better.
So if you’ve got a spare hour, why not give it a go? You’ve
got nothing to lose… except a few bags of crisps and a couple bars of
chocolate!
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